Being There
by Riku-Aura777
Summary: “Yo, I could rob a bank and she’d still be there for me.” If only Beat knew how true those words would be. Beat/Rhyme sibling fic.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, has anyone done a story on this before? I haven't seen one, and when I got to this part of the game again, I just couldn't resist. That quote was amazing, and I just had to write this. I might continue to it, I'm not sure. On a side-note, I've probably murdered Beat's speech, so go easy on me for that, okay? Please?

Disclaimer: I don't own The World Ends with You.

* * *

Fifteen-year-old Raimu Bito, nicknamed "Rhyme" by her brother, gave a small sigh after her parents had left. She knew they had been hesitant to leave her, since they would be out of Shibuya for three days, but she had managed to reassure them that she would be fine without them for a few days. On impulse, she also told them that she could just call her brother if something happened.

Needless to say, that almost made them reconsiders their decision.

She couldn't understand why they still refused to trust him. He was twenty, living on his own in a decent apartment, and had his own job. He had even tried to enroll in a local college. Unfortunately, he hadn't been accepted, but she was still proud of him for trying, even if their parents had been disappointed. The fact that he had applied himself and tried to move away from his juvenile behavior meant a lot to her.

Quickly deciding that the house was too quiet, Rhyme sat down on the couch and turned the TV on, not really caring about what channel it was on. Grabbing her book that was on the table next to her, she could hear today's news floating into her ears. She found herself listening intently to it ten minutes later when a reporter began talking about a bank robbery. Apparently, almost 978,000 yen was stolen during the previous night and the recordings from the security cameras couldn't give police an exact idea of who the culprit was.

Bank robberies were rare, but not unheard of, around Shibuya. Rhyme figured that this one was the biggest she'd heard of. She wondered what the person who stole the money was thinking about doing now that they had committed this crime. Were they planning on leaving Japan? Did they even _have_ a plan? Or was this just a spur-of-the-moment thing?

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Rhyme would tell them if she could.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang. Sitting up, she walked to the kitchen counter where she had left it earlier. She answered with a cheery, "Hello?"

_"Hey Rhyme."_

"Beat! It's been forever since you've called. Have you been doing anything?"

_"Nuttin' much. Sorry 'bout that. Been workin' a lot. How've you been?"_

"Good. I've been getting a lot of homework lately, but that's not surprising. Mom and Dad are out of town for the next few days, so I'm just here by myself." She was hoping that he would get her not-so subtle hint.

_"Really? Sweet. I'm comin' over, aight? See ya."_

"Wait, Beat. Are you okay? You just sound… off."

_"S'okay. Everything's good, yo. I'll be over soon. Later Rhyme."_

"Bye Beat," she responded, hanging up.

Knowing her brother, Rhyme figured he would take his skateboard, even though he did own a car now. It seemed that Beat just couldn't get rid of it, despite the fact that it was very old and could probably break at a moment's notice.

Walking to the front door, Rhyme flipped the light switch that would turn on the outside light, knowing that he would probably make it there just after the sun went down. Beat was a fast and skilled skateboarder, but he did know to be cautious when it was becoming darker outside. That was something Rhyme was thankful for. There was no need for either one of them to be involved in another car accident.

Twenty minutes later, he brother brusquely opened the door, setting his board down next to the door. Rhyme walked over to him, quickly hugging him just like every time they saw each other. Even though she had grown to the height of 5"5', he still towered over her, probably over six foot.

Wrapping her small arms around his broad shoulders, Rhyme noticed that her brother felt tense. Now she _knew _something had to be wrong.

"Hey Rhyme," he greeted again wearily, returning the hug with a more crushing force than normal. "Good to see ya."

"You too, but can you tell me what's wrong? Remember: a problem shared-"

"-is a problem… somethin', I don' remember. But, I know, yo. Don' worry Rhyme, everythin's good."

"You sure?" She couldn't help but ask. Rhyme knew she couldn't force him to say anything, and she knew how protective he was, but she at least wanted to let him know she was there to help, if she could.

"I'm sure. I need a drink. Be right back." Rhyme released him so he could meander to the kitchen. With nothing better to do, she followed her brother into the kitchen and sat down at the table, waiting for him to get his drink and join her.

"So why'd you stop by?" Rhyme asked out of curiosity once Beat finished his drink.

"What, don' want me 'ere?" He questioned. Rhyme winced at the barely detectable hurt in his voice.

"No, no," she quickly reassured, "I'm happy you're here, and it's great to see you. I was just wondering what made you want to stop by."

"Uh… so Mom and Dad's gone, you said?"

"Yep, for the next three or so days." She smiled.

"Think I could stay here?" Beat asked hesitantly.

"Sure! They left your room alone, bed included, so you can just sleep there. You brought stuff with you, right?" She turned her attention to the bag Beat had carried in with him and placed down next to him.

"Y-yeah, I'll take 'em up soon."

Not paying attention to his tone, Rhyme interjected, "I can do it right now. Don't worry about it." Jumping out of her chair, she bent down to grab the bag, muttering in wonder, "This feels heavier than it should. What'd you bring?"

Ignoring her brother's quick gasp, she opened the bag, tilting her head as she looked at the contents. "Yen?" Reaching a hand in, she felt that the bag was completely filled with it. "_Lots _of yen. What's all this for, Beat?"

"Uh, well… ya see, um…"

Rhyme's eyes widened as an idea hit her. While she viewed it as completely illogical, even for her brother, she said, "I heard a bank got robbed today." Her fear grew as she saw Beat turn his head so she couldn't see his eyes. "And whoever did it stole a lot of yen."

"Shit," he muttered, taking off his beanie and throwing it on the floor. "I hoped you hadn't heard."

"Beat!" She exclaimed. "This… this can't be!"

"I'll go. I'm sorry Rhyme. Sorry I let you down." As he reached down to take his bag, Rhyme refused to relinquish her hold of it. "Rhyme, c'mon!"

"No, Beat! How'd you do it? Did you get help? Did _you _help someone _else_?"

"What, don' think I'm smart 'nough to do it my own? Well, I did, and it was easy!" He boasted, though Rhyme could tell it was just an act.

"Beat, let me tell you this quote I heard: "He who is full of himself is likely to be quite empty." I know you Beat, you wouldn't do something like this."

"Look, I can't get into it, 'kay? I was hopin' I could just crash here for the night, but I don' have to if you don' want me to," he replied, letting go of his bag.

"No, you can. You're my brother, Beat, I'm not going to make you leave." She smiled, zipping the bag up.

"Ya sure?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Of course! Now come on, let's go put this somewhere."

Beat gave a sigh of relief. He knew it was foolish to come here and get his sister involved in all this, but he had nowhere else to go. Besides, just like he had told Neku five years ago, he knew his sister would always be there for him, no matter what.

* * *

Okay, I'm not sure how to feel about this. I just got the idea, and was happy to write it, since I've been idea-less for awhile. I just wanted to know if I still had some creativity in me, and it seems like I do. Please review and let me know if I should continue it or not, or what you would like to see in it. I'll probably update it sometime, even without feedback. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. Honestly, I wasn't expecting such a warm reception of this story. But I'm glad so many of you enjoyed it. Sorry for the shortness, by the way.

Disclaimer: I don't own The World Ends with You.

* * *

_There has to be a reason, _Rhyme thought for the seventh time in the last five minutes. There was logic behind every decision, whether it was a good choice or not. So what was Beat's reason? True, he may be the most illogical person Rhyme knew, but even _he _had to have known the enormity of his actions.

More than that, the punishment for said actions.

Rubbing her temples to soothe a now-growing headache, Rhyme turned the television back off. It was now a little after eight, and she was all ready starting to feel tired. Remembering that she had school the next morning, Rhyme wondered what her brother would do the next day. Would he just lounge around here? She knew he had a job to go to, but with all that yen, what would be the purpose of going?

"You sleepin' Rhyme?" Jumping when she heard her brother's deep voice, she sat up. "Ain't it early for that?"

"I wasn't asleep," she weakly defended.

"So we're Mom an' Dad?" Beat questioned as he sat down in the chair across from the couch.

"Well, Dad had to go make a speech somewhere about four hours away, I'm not too sure where exactly. Mom decided she'd go with him."

Beat grunted in acknowledgment, and then reached over for the remote. Rhyme had a feeling that would happen, since she knew how much he didn't like their father's job. He was a motivational speaker, and while not world-famous one, he was fairly well-known around the area. His job contributed to why he wanted Beat to succeed with such a passion, and why he didn't view failure as an option.

"Are you sure you wanna watch TV?" Rhyme asked hesitantly. "I mean, the news wouldn't be on anymore, but you never know what breaking news they might have."

"Naw," he replied, "It's good, yo. I kinda wanna see what they got on me." Rhyme could see the lie hidden behind his half-hearted grin. "You goin' to bed?"

"Not yet. Probably later."

However, her words did not match her actions. After ten minutes of half-watching whatever was on TV, she began to doze off, only to completely fall asleep after hearing a gentle, "'Night Rhyme."

* * *

"Hey Rhyme, wake up!"

Slowly opening her eyes, Rhyme was surprised to find herself in her own bed, after clearly remembering falling asleep downstairs. Had she woken up sometime in between?

"I carried ya up. You're still light, yo," he answered jokingly, a small smirk in place.

"Well, I don't think I could be quite as muscular as you are," she answered, rubbing her eyes. "Wait, what time is it?!"

"Relax, I know wha' time ya need to be up. It's after six, 'nough time to get ready."

"Thanks Beat. Do you want me to make anything? I might have time if I start now."

With a sheepish smile, he said, "Well, I found some cereal that I was just gonna eat. Wanna bowl?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll be right down, I just need to shower first."

"No prob, yo."

Watching her brother exit her room, Rhyme threw the blankets off her thin form and got out of bed. Stretching, she walked to the bathroom next to her parent's room. Standing under the spray of warm water, she reflected on the fact that last night was _not _a dream. Beat really _had _robbed a bank, the proof being him there in person.

What were they going to do?

Dwelling on that question for ten more minutes, she exited the shower and put on the clothes she had brought into the bathroom with her. Quickly brushing her short hair, she left the bathroom and walked downstairs. Rhyme smiled a little at the sight of her brother, leaning back in his chairs so that only two legs were touching the floor, feet rested upon the table, the very way he sat at the table everyday when he still lived there.

"I wish you still lived here," she voiced, unable to keep it within her thoughts.

"You know I couldn' Rhyme. Mom and Dad wouldn' wanna put up with a loser like me longer than they 'ad to."

"Don't say that Beat!" Sitting down, Rhyme began to eat her breakfast, watching her brother. "You're not a loser. You never have been, and you won't ever be one."

With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Beat said, "Thanks Rhyme. Means a lot. You gotta say, doin' all this migh' make me one."

"Every cloud has a silver lining, Beat. It'll all work out, trust me." She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. Maybe both of them, since they gave each other an uneasy smile.

"Well," Rhyme began after she finished eating, "I better get going. It looks like it might rain, and I don't want to get wet. Are you just going to stay here all day?"

"Prob'ly. Maybe ride 'round a little."

"And you'll stay away from the business district, right?"

"Don' worry, yo. I know."

"Okay. See you later, Beat."

"Later Rhyme."

* * *

School had gone by slowly for Rhyme, but she had to attribute that to the fact that she had been reminded numerous times about her brother's actions the previous day. Despite how patient and non-violent she was, if she had heard, "Hey, did ya hear about that guy who robbed a bank?" one more time, that person would've been shoved into a wall. She wasn't sure if she had the muscle mass to accomplish that task, but it had sounded good.

Sadly enough, when her day wasn't full of hearing about the robbery, the only thing she did was _think _about it. Where was Beat going to go once their parent's returned? Was he going to stay in Shibuya? Better yet, was he going to stay in Japan? She could remember that he had expressed interest in visiting the United States a couple of years ago. Was that still something he wanted to do?

Needless to say, she was happy when the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school-day.

However, her unease returned when she arrived home and her brother wasn't there. Rhyme was about to call out to him when she remembered that he said that he might skate around town.

_Yeah, he's fine, _she reassured herself. However, not feeling the least bit better, she sat down at the table and began doing her homework. Still, thirty math problems later, Beat hadn't come back, and Rhyme found her worry increasing with each passing minute.

"Rhyme, you home?!"

Releasing the breath she wasn't aware she was holding, Rhyme answered, in a surprising collected tone, "Yeah, in the kitchen!"

"Sweet. I couldn' remember when you got out, so I didn' know when ta come back."

"I've been home for an hour Beat," she informed him, neatly placing her work back in her bag.

"Really? Sorry, I jus' got real busy." Taking off his hat, Beat ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

"What were you doing?"

"I ran in ta Shiki!"

Rhyme was surprised. The four of them, herself, Beat, Neku, and Shiki, had somewhat lost contact with each other over the past couple years. Of course, that was only natural, seeing as the last two had entered college, and therefore didn't have as much free time as they had had in high school.

"It was nice seein' her, yo," Beat continued. "She says hi to ya. And that Phones says it too. She was sayin' how we should get together soon or somethin' like that."

"Yeah, that would be really great. And you didn't mention anything to her, right?"

"'Course not, yo. I'm smarter than you think I 'm."

"I'm just worried, Beat," the girl sighed. "I mean, what're you going to do? You can't stay here forever! Eventually, there'll be some breakthrough in their investigation, and they'll find something that can incriminate you, and they'll realize you did this."

"Uh… what?" Beat questioned, not understanding half the words his sister used.

"Soon, the police will figure out that you did this, and they'll arrest you. Who knows how long you could be in jail for."

"Rhyme, I know, 'kay? Like I told ya, I'm just stayin' for a few days, aight?"

"Yeah, I know. But what're you going to do _when _you leave? I mean, you must have some sort of plan, right?"

Giving a hesitant chuckle, Beat nervously scratched the back of his head. "You don't have a plan, do you? You just did this without thinking it through, didn't you?" While she knew her brother, Rhyme was finding this hard to believe.

_Please… please just let this be a dream! _She begged, feeling unable to deal with this situation.

"Aight!!" Beat bellowed, voice reverberating off the walls, making Rhyme jump in surprise. "We're gettin' outta here!"

"And going where?" She found herself asking.

"Not sure yet. I'm thinkin' the skate park. Sound good?"

She remained silent for a few seconds, until she was incapable to hold back her laughter. The skate park! "Yeah, we can go," she agreed, allowing him the chance to go to such a simple place, knowing the next few days—possibly weeks or months, depending on how things continued—weren't going to resemble anything simple.

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And there's chapter two. Again, let me know how I did with Beat's speech, even though it was apparently good in the last chapter. Hopefully I'll write the next chapter quicker, but no guarantees. Please review!


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